Control lever for hoists



United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1930Norling [72] Inventor Thomas E. Grego Waverly, New York [2!] Appl. No.878,991

[22] Filed Dec. 5, I969 Continuation of Ser. No. 715,842, March 25,1968, abandoned. [45] Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Primary Examiner-MiltonKaufman [73] Assignee lngersoll-Rand Company Attorneys-Carl R. Horton,David W. Tibbott and Bernard .1

New York, New York Murphy a corporationoi New Jersey ABSTRACT: A hoistpayout" and retrieval" control lever [54] CONTROL LEVER FOR HOHSTShaving two separate and oppositely disposed control arms on the hoistsnormally neutrally constrained control rod. Actua- 5 Claims, 1 DrawingFig.

254/168; tion of one or the other arms, respectively, pays out or 74/524retrieves the cable. Also, movement of one arm causes it to [51]866111100 engage and move the other arm, except that there is [50] Fieldot'Search............................................ 74/524,therebetween a built-in disengaging feature to insure that excessiveretrieving motion will not trigger the payout motion.

CONTROL LEVER FOR HOISTS This application is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 7l5,842 filed Mar. 25, 1968, now abandoned.

This invention pertains to a control lever for a hoist, winch, or suchsimilar device, and in particular to a control lever operative foreffecting payout and retrieval of the hoist cable.

in the prior art it is common for a hoist to have a control rod, foroperating the hoist, which is normally constrained in a neutral positionand rotatable in opposite directions to pay out and to retrieve thecable, respectively. It is the practice in the prior art to have asingle 'unitized control lever fixed to the control rod for operationthereof. Such control levers have a pair of arms extending in oppositedirections from the rod, and each end the arms suspends a rope therefromfor the manipulation ofthe lever by an operator.

In order to operate the hoist the operator puts tension on the one ropewhich is attached to the lowering" arm. This rotates the control rod andlowers the cable so that a work load might be fixed to the hook block.Then the operator applies a tension to the other rope attached to theraising" arm, which in turn causes the hoist to elevate the load. Ifbecause of continued tension on the raising arm rope, the work load israised excessively, the hook block carried at the cable termination willengage the raising arm and cause it to rise (with the block) and move tothe halt position. However, if the hook block is rising at an excessiverate, it will carry the arm up against the hoist housing possiblyfracturing the same or otherwise inflicting damage thereto.Additionally, with excessive momentum of the hook block, the raising armis carried through the stop position and into the alternate loweringposition. Accordingly, this causes the hook block again to lower. in aneffort to correct the situation, the unintentional lowering of theblock, the operator will again briefly, apply tension to the raising armor rope again to elevate the hook block and to move the raising armagain to the desired stop position. Unless the operator releases therope in timely fashion, however, the hook block will again cause the armto strike the hoist housing. Therefore, there will occur a series ofrepetitive, violent impacts ofthe raising arm against the hoist housing,which will likely damage the hoist housing, strain the cable, or sheerthe control rod, unless the operator can quickly command the rapidlyoccurring reactions.

It is an object of this invention to teach a control lever structure formounting on a control rod, which rod is rotatable to pay out andretrieve cable, with means cooperative with a normal, neutral constraintofthe rod for interrupting rod rotation, whereby it is provided for therod automatically to dwell in a stop position regardless of motion ofthe control lever mounted thereon.

A feature of this invention comprises having a control lever with two,separate, oppositely disposed control arms carried on the hoist controlrod, said rods having surfaces for mutual engagement therebetween exceptfor a built-in disengagement feature which allows for a dwell of thecontrol rod even though said control lever manifests continuing motion.

Further objects and features of this invention will become more apparentby reference to the following discussion taken in conjunction with theaccompanying FlG., the same being a side elevation of the novel controllever, in conjunction with a hoist, in which a portion ofthe hoisthousing is broken away to show the arm mounting details and a portion ofone arm is broken away to show splining between one arm and the controlrod.

As shown in the FIG. a hoist 10 is contained within a hoist housing 12.A lower portion of the housing has been broken away to show the mountingof the novel control lever 14 on the control rod 16.

In accord with practices in the prior art, control rod 16 is normallyconstrained (by means not shown) in a neutral position. said neutral orat rest position being the halt" position. When rod 16 is rotated ineither of the two directions therefrom. the hoist motor is energizedcausing the cable to be payed out or retrieved, respectively.

According to the invention, control lever 14 comprises one arm 18disposed for effecting payout of the cable, said arm and said controlrod 16 having splining 20 therebetween which fixes arm 18 on control rod16. Accordingly, when arm 18 is moved in a rotary direction about theaxis of rod 16, rod 16 must necessarily follow the motions therewith.Splining, of course, is but one way of fixing arm 18 relative to rod 16.Other ways, such as keying, and the like, will occur to thoseknowledgeable in the art. Such other methods are within the spirit of myinvention, it being my teaching to have but one of the arms locked tothe rod to cause positive, simultaneous rotation of said rod with rotarymotion of said one arm.

Control lever 14 comprises another separate arm 22 disposed on controlrod 16 for effecting retrieval of the cable. Arm 22 is freely pivoted onrod 16; rotary motion of arm 22 about the axis of rod 16 does notdirectly impart motion to rod 16. Cable 24 is shown depending from thehoist l0 and terminates in a hook block 26. Hook block 26 is suspendedbelow arm 22 with cable 24 immediately adjacent said arm 22.

In positions shown in full line illustration for arms 18 and 22, saidarms, the hoist motor, and the control rod 16 are all in the haltposition. The dashed line positions 28 and 30 represent the dispositionswhich arm 22 assumes in the payout and retrieval operations,respectively. Dashed line positions 32 and 34, conversely, represent theretrieval and payout positions of arm 18. Control ropes 36 are attachedto each of the arms 18 and 22 for enabling remote actuation thereof bythe operator.

Finally it is to be noted that arm 22, which is substantiallyright-angular, has formed thereon, approximately at the knee" of theangle, a first tang 38. Tang 38 extends perpendicularly therefrom andparallels the axis of rod 16. Arm 22 also has a second tang 40 disposedat a right angle to the first tang, said second tang 40 also extendingperpendicularly from arm 22 and parallel to the rod axis. First tang 38has surface 42 disposed for engaging a surface 44 presented by a lateraledge of arm 18. Said second tang 40 has an engaging surface 46 disposedfor operation against a surface 48, a complementary lateral edge of arm18. An end surface 50 the length of which exceeds the width of arm 18,defines a given distance which separates engaging surfaces 42 andsurfaces 46. The purpose of this given distance is noted in thefollowing discussion.

Arms 18 and 22 are in juxtaposition on rod 16, thus, tangs 38 and 40 arepositioned astride arm 18. The effect of this structuring is to causerotary actuation of arm 18 in response to rotary motions of arm 22 aboutthe axis of rod 16. So also, first tang 38 is provided to cause rotaryactuation of arm 22 in response to rotary motion of arm 18. The distancealong end surface 50, between engaging surfaces 42 and 46, as was notedearlier, is greater than the width of arm 18. As will be pointed outsubsequently, the excess distance is provided to facilitate a lull orinterruption in the transmission of motion from one arm to the other sothat control rod 16 can locate at, and maintain, the halt position.

In operation, when the hoist operator pulls on rope 36 of arm 18,surfaces 42 and 44 engage and cause rotary motion of arm 22 in responseto the rotary motion of arm 18. Arm 18 is carried to its payout position34. Because of the splining 20, control rod 16 is rotated in a firstdirection causing pay out of cable 24. It will be noted that, as aresult of the engagement of surfaces 42 and 44, arm 22 is also carriedto its payout position 28.

When the hoist operator pulls down on rope 36 of arm 22 to retrievecable 24, engaging surfaces 42 of first tang 38, which is in contactwith engaging surface 44 of arm 18, swings arm 18 to its retrieveposition 32 as arm 22 moves to its retrieve position 30. Arm 18 islocked to the control shaft 16. by virtue of the splining 20, and turnsshaft 16 to retrieve the cable. The hoist book block 26 is raised, ascable is retrieved, until it makes contact with retrieve arm 22. Thehoist motor overcomes the pull or hand tension of the operator. andforces the arm 22, which is free to slue about the control rod 16, intothe stop position. (As noted earlier, the stop position is thatlustration.) As arm 22 is being moved to the stop position, tang 38proceeds to withdraw from, bearing with less force against, payout arm18 and allows arm 18 to settle in its own stop position. Thus, the hoistbrake motor is deenergized.

Any minimal overtravel of the hook block 26, caused by its velocity, orwhatever, is without effect on the control rod 16. This is because arm22 will but pivot through that portion of its rotary motion, relativerod 16, wherein engaging surfaces 42 and 44, and 46 and 48, are removingfrom and closing on each other, respectively. The length of surface 50which exceeds the width of arm 18 defines the measure of free pivoting,disengaged from arm 18, which arm 22 will manifest.

In the event an excessive overtravel of the hook block 26 does occur, inwhich arm 22 is raised until it reaches its payout position 28, thentang 40 contacts arm 18. Surfaces 46 and 48 engage and force arm 18 intoits payout position 34. This, in turn, activates the control rod 16 andlowers the hook block 26. As the hook block lowers, it allows the freelypivotable arm 22 to follow therebehind. Subsequently, arm 22 pivots farenough from payout position 28 to separate surfaces 46 and 48 while notyet joining surfaces 42 and 44. Lever l8 settles in the stop position,and all motion is stopped.

The embodiment of my invention disclosed herein teaches the applicationthereof in association with a hoist. Selfevidently, though, my inventionis equally useful with other cable payout and retrieval devices, such aswinches. Capstans, and the like.

I claim:

1. In combination with a hoist, having a control rod normallyconstrained in a neutral position and rotatable in opposite directionstherefrom to effect cable retrieval and payout, a control lever,comprising:

control arms drivingly coupled-to said rod for executing rotary motionsrelative the axis of said rod to rotate said rod to cause positive,simultaneous rotation of said rod in response to said rotary motions;

only one of said arms being locked to said rod to cause positive,simultaneous rotation of said rod in response to said rotary motions;

means carried by at least one of said control arms for causing rotarymotion of any one of said arms. in both of said opposite directionsthrough rotary motion of another of said arms;

wherein said motion inducing means cooperate with the normal constraintof said rod automatically to provide for a lapse in the inducementof'motion in saidanother arm during the swing of said any one of saidarms through a given portion of an arc described by said rotary motions;and

said motion inducing means comprising meansdisposed on said one controlarm effective for engaging said another arm to cause movement thereofonly during the swing of said one arm through portions of said arc otherthan said given portion.

2. The invention, according to claim 1, wherein said another arm ispivotably coupled to said rod providing for relative rotationtherebetween.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said engaging meanscomprise means effective for causing rotation of said rod immediatelycoincident with motion of said another arm in one rotary direction androtation thereof, after a delay, by motion of said another armin theopposite rotary direction.

4. The invention, according to claim 1, wherein:

two of said arms are arranged on said rod in juxtaposition,

one end of each arm coupled to said rod and the other ends thereofextending perpendicularly from said rod in substantially oppositedirections; and

said motion inducing means comprising at least one of said two armshaving surfaces for effecting a mutual engage ment of said two arms tocause a rotary motion of any one thereofto rotate the other.

5. The invention, according to claim 4, wherein:

said engaging surfaces comprise two pairs of surfaces, each of said twoarms having a pair; and

one pair being astride the other pair there being given distance betweensurfaces ofsaid other pair and a greater distance between surfaces ofsaid one pair, so that rotation of said another arm by said one arm iseffected only during the swing of said arms through given end portionsofan arc described by said rotary motions.

